Rewind switch mechanism for clocks



June 28, 1966 R. ROMO 3,258,086

REWIND SWITCH MECHANISM FOR CLOCKS Filed Nov. 20. 1964 /g, 1N VENTOR United States Patent Office Patented June 28, 1966 3 258,086 REWIND SWITCH NIECHANISM FOR CLOCKS Roberto Romo, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Timette, Inc., Chicago, IlL, a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 412,700 2 Claims. (Cl. 185-40) This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a rewind switch mechanism for clocks and more particularly to a battery-powered spring-driven clock.

The principal object of my invention is to provide in a clock of this character an improved switching mechanism for intermittently energizing a battery-powered motor to effect rewinding of the power spring for such clock.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a clock mechanism of this character a means for positively and effectively preventing accidental or improper switching cont-act and subsequent energization of the batterypowered motor which would accidentally overwind the power spring of the clock mechanism.

An equally important object of my invention is in the provision in a mechanism of this character of an arrangement of parts which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and which produces an accurate and reliable clock mechanism.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of my invention as incorporated into a clock housing;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of the switching mechanism embodying my invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the spring housing and one contact finger of my improved switch'mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the rewind gear wheel as employed in the preferred embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view showing a modified form of my improved switching mechanism;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the rewind gear Wheels as employed in the modified embodiment of my invention.

As the invention to be hereinafter described and claimed relates solely to a new and novel switching mechanism as associated with a battery-powered spring-driven clock, I have omitted references to, and have not shown, all of the standard clock elements such as gear trains and associated operative parts that are well known in the art and which make up no part of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, I show a switch housing 10 which provides a pair of hollow compartments 11 and 12. In the compartment 12 is a suitable mounting bracket for a dry cell battery 13 which bracket includes terminal ends 14 and 15 connected by suitable connectors 16 and 17 (fragmentarily shown) to a small electric motor 18 carried by a mounting bracket 18' in compartment 11.

The motor 18 includes a rotatable shaft 19 which in turn carries a worm gear 20 adapted to have engagement with a gear wheel 21. This gear wheel 21 is freely mounted on a gear shaft 22 which in turn carries and actuates portions of the normal gear train as associated with clocks of this type.

On one side surface of the gear wheel 21 is fixedly connected a circular collar 23 through which the shaft 22 is freely journalled and to which is connected one end 24 of a power spring 25. As shown in FIG. 3, the

power spring 25 is normally coiled about the collar 23 and positioned entirely within the confines of a hollow drum housing 26. The drum housing 26 is fixedly connected to the shaft 22 and is rotatable therewith. The opposite end 27 of the power spring 25 is connected to the drum 26 by means of a lug 28 struck inwardly of the housing 26 from its peripheral flange 29, as seen in FIG. 3.

The peripheral flange 29 of the drum 26 is provided with a cutout portion 30 through which projects the free end of a contact arm 31. The inner end portion of the contact arm 31, is connected as at 32 to the inner surface of the peripheral flange 29 adjacent the opening 30 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Carried 'by a suitable bracket 33 is a double finger switch 34. This switch 34 comprises a pair of parallelly extending switch spring fingers 35 and 36 which extend radially with respect to the gear Wheel 21 and are normally disposed to either side thereof as shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 5, I show the gear wheel 21 as having mounted in facial abutment on one side thereof a circular switch plate 37. Formed in the peripheral edge of the plate 37 is a notched out portion 38 which when the switching mechanism is in its normal or rest position, as shown in FIG. 1, will receive the free end of the switch spring finger 35.

In operation of the clock mechanism the power spring 25 will tend to unwind within the housing 26 and cause rotation of the shaft 22 which in turnwill actuate a circuit from the battery 13 to the motor'1-8 energizing the latter and .thus causing its shaft 19 together'with the worm gear 20 thereon to rotate. As the worm gear 20 rotates, it will rotate the gear wheel 21 fully about the 5 shaft 22. The gear wheel 21 will be caused to rotate.

as long as the switch arms 31 and 36 are in contact. The switch arms 31 and 36 will remain in contact until they are forcibly separated by a laterally extending stop pin 40 carried by one side of the gear wheel 21 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5.

Subsequent to the commencement of rotation of the gear wheel 21, the switch finger 35 will engage the peripheral edge of the switching plate 37 carried by such wheel 21 and remain in contact therewith until the wheel 21 rotates a full turn at which time the switch finger 35 will again project into the cutout 38 breaking the switching contact between such switch finger 35 and switch plate 37.

As viewed in FIG. 3, I show the specific relation of the free end 38' of the switch finger 36 with respect to the contact arm 31. In this regard, it should be noted that each are bent or arcuated in opposite directions with respect vto each other so as .to be biased against each other upon contact to assure and maintain a full and complete contact therebetween for effecting energization of the motor 18.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, I show a modified structure which includes similar elements as hereinbefore described with the exception and omission of the switching plate 3'7 which was carried by the gear wheel 21. Asshown in FIG. 6, the switching mechanism comprises a gear wheel 41 freely journalled on a gear shaft 42. The gear wheel 41 provides a hub 43 which is adapted to be projected about the shaft 42 within the confines of the hollow drum '44.

A single switch finger '45 is carried by a suitable bracket 46 and by an electrical connector 47 is operatively connected to the motor and power source of the "device. The gear wheel 41 provides a laterally extendingstop pin 48, which in turn is adapted to engage the contact arm 49 carried by the drum housing 44 so as operation thereof, it is thoroughly apparent that the contact arm 31 as well as the free end 38 of the switch finger 36 will during the normal course of operation of the device engage each other and wipe their contacting surfaces so as .to prevent corrosion or deposits to accumulate thereon and thus effect the electrical conductivity of each. These contacts are in effect self-cleaning by reason of their wiping-actiontype contact. The same is true with respect to the type of contact betwen the free end or the switch finger 35 and the contact switching plate 37. While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore,

do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A switch for a clock spring rewind mechanism having a battery-powered electric motor and a clock spring housing and a spring rewind gear including,

against each other when in engagement so as to energize said motor, ((1) a laterally extending pin carried by and rotated with the spring rewind gear into contact with said 5 second switch con-tact finger when said rewind gear is rotated by the energized motor for bending and holding said second switch contact finger in the direction of said housing out of contact with said fixed switch contact finger to deenergize the motor of the spring rewind mechanism. 2. In combination, a battery-powered motor-driven clock spring rewind mechanism including a spring driven clock gear shaft upon which is freely journalled a spring rewind gear and a coiled clock spring having one end connected to the rewind gear and its opposite end connected to a spring housing fixedly journalled on said shaft so that said shaft and said spring housing rotate by the unwinding of the clock spring; and a switch mechanism for energizing said motor for rotating said rewind gear to periodically wind said clock spring about said shaft within said housing.

(a) a fixed contact finger having a yieldable end portion extending radially with respect to the shaft and said housing and projecting inwardly of the peripheral edge of said gear,

(b) a switch contact resiliently carried by and extending tangentially from said housing with its free end extending in the direction of its rotation,

(c) each of the switch contacts having its free end portion bent in opposite directions so as to be biased against each other when in engagement so as to energize said motor, and

(d) a laterally extending pin on and rotated with said rewind gear for breaking the con-tact of said first and second switch contact members after said rewind gear has been rotated one revolution by said motor.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 984,008 2/ 1911 Kallenbach et a1 5841 1,219,108 3/1917 K-allenbach ell, al. 4O 3,031,837 5/1961 Homing 5841 EDGAR W. GEOGHEGAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SWITCH FOR A CLOCK SPRING REWIND MECHANISM HAVING A BATTERY-POWERED ELECTRIC MOTOR AND A CLOCK SPRING HOUSING AND A SPRING REWIND GEAR INCLUDING (A) A FIXED CONTACT FINGER HAVING A YIELDABLE END PORTION EXTENDING RADIALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE SHAFT AND SAID HOUSING AND PROJECTING INWARDLY OF THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID GEAR, (B) A SWITCH CONTACT RESILIENTLY CARRIED BY AND EXTENDING TANGENTIALLY FROM SAID HOUSING WITH ITS FREE END EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS ROTATION, (C) EACH OF THE SWITCH CONTACTS HAVING ITS FREE END PORTION BENT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS SO AS TO BE BIASED AGAINST EACH OTHER WHEN IN ENGAGEMENT SO AS TO ENERGIZE SAID MOTOR, (D) A LATERALLY EXTENDING PIN CARRIED BY AND ROTATED WITH THE SPRING REWIND GEAR INTO CONTACT WITH SAID SECOND SWITCH CONTACT FINGER WHEN SAID REWIND GEAR IS ROTATED BY THE ENERGIZED MOTOR FOR BENDING AND HOLDING SAID SECOND SWITCH CONTACT FINGER IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID HOUSING OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID FIXED SWITCH CONTACT FINGER TO DEENERGIZE THE MOTOR OF THE SPRING REWIND MECHANISM. 